Birth Day
by GibbsGirlAbby
Summary: Maia the unicorn's having her foal, and it affects Tony in ways he never dreamed.  In my Unicorn 'verse.


**Title:** Birth Day  
><strong>Author Name:<strong> GibbsGirlAbby  
><strong>Rating:<strong> PG  
><strong>Series:<strong> The Unicorn 'verse.  
><strong>Genre:<strong> Slash  
><strong>Pairing:<strong> Gibbs/DiNozzo  
><strong>Summary:<strong> Maia the unicorn goes into labor, affecting Tony more than he ever thought.  
><strong>Spoilers: <strong> None  
><strong>Disclaimer:<strong> These characters belong to DPB, CBS, Paramount, et al. No copyright infringement is intended.  
><strong>Warnings:<strong> Boy on boy action. Don't like? Don't read.  
><strong>Author's Note<strong>: Next in the Unicorn 'verse.

* * *

><p><strong>Birth Day<strong>

* * *

><p>Gibbs' hands were sure and steady as they stroked the bright, distended belly. "Easy, girl," he whispered, smiling as Maia's ears twitched at the sound. "That's right, I'm here," he told the mare. "You just relax now."<p>

Ten feet away, Tony paced anxiously. _Easy for you to say,_ he thought, concern for the pregnant unicorn upmost in his mind while also trying to ignore the growing stich in his side.

Gibbs caught the wince of pain, shaking his head at the heavens. _Just what I need_, Gibbs thought. [You might have skipped this part, all things considered], he said, though of course Tony couldn't hear it. The only reply was silence—which was good, Gibbs guessed. Better than anger at his hubris. Taking a deep breath, he nodded to the sky and patted Maia once more before turning to his lover. "Tony, you need to relax, too," Gibbs said, his voice as soft and as even to the man as it was the beast. "You're not doing yourself or Maia any good this way."

Tony's pacing halted. "I'm trying," Tony said, the pain in his side twinging a bit harder as a ripple ran across the unicorn's belly. "What…Gibbs?" Another pain ran through Tony's middle.

"Come here," Gibbs ordered softly. "It's transference, Tony," he explained, rubbing his free hand over Tony's own belly. "It happens with the unicorns and their protector's mate."

Tony's eyes widened as another stich pulled through him. "You mean, I'm in LABOR?"

Gibbs chuckled. "In a way," he allowed. "It's taking some of the pain from Maia, but it won't be more than you can handle. The gods would never harm a mate, even for the unicorns."

Gods? What was Gibbs talking about? Tony opened his mouth to ask when the sharpest pain yet crossed over his stomach down into his groin. "Gibbs," he hissed, doubling over.

"It's okay, Tony," he said, rising from the mare and signaling to the herd. Helia came trotting over and with a grace unlike ordinary equines, laid down near Tony. "Here," he said, placing Tony against the older mare's flank. "I'm sorry for this, Tony," he said, bussing a kiss over Tony's mouth. "I really didn't expect it, since you're a man but…"

"God, Gibbs, it hurts," Tony said.

"Shh…" Gibbs ran a strong hand down Tony's hair to cup his ear. His thumb ran across Tony's cheek. "Shh…" he said again, gently putting the younger man to sleep. He looked Helia in the eyes. "You take care of him." The unicorn's expression turned sullen, as if insulted by the idea she wouldn't care for Tony. "I'm sorry, but he's…" Gibbs frowned as a grimace passed across the sleeping Tony's face. The pains were strong enough to be felt even in sleep. He knelt and rubbed a hand over Tony's middle. Helia nudged it away, placing her warm snout over Tony's stomach. A second, younger unicorn came over and joined Helia, helping to ease Tony's pain with her head. Gibbs scratched between both mares' eyes. "Yeah, I love him, too," he told creatures.

A soft whinny pulled his attention back to Maia. He moved back to the pregnant mare, rubbing once again on her rippling belly. "Let's get this over with, for both of you, okay?"

The unicorn almost seemed to nod.

* * *

><p>The sun was low in the sky when Tony woke up. He realized slowly that he'd been asleep, and was now lying on Gibbs' lap as opposed to the soft unicorn he'd fallen asleep on.<p>

Unicorn.

Maia…

…_pain…_

"Not too fast," Gibbs ordered as Tony struggled to sit up.

A sharp twinge in his side caused Tony to tumble back into Gibbs' strong arms. "What…Jethro. What just happened?"

Gibbs' hand snaked under Tony's shirt, warm against the skin. "What do you remember?"

Tony thought. He remembered Gibbs waking him up early, before the sun rose. _"It's time,"_ the older man had said. Tony knew that meant Maia, the pregnant unicorn, was in labor. The mental bond between Gibbs and the herd was something Tony was working to accept. They'd dressed quickly, drove to the meadow, and found Maia down, surrounded by the other mares as if waiting for Gibbs to arrive. Gibbs had knelt to the mare and… "Oh my god!" Tony exclaimed, the full memory hitting him. "I went through labor! For Maia!"

Gibbs watched warily. The younger man didn't seem as angry or upset as Gibbs had thought he would be. "Tony…"

"I had labor pains, Gibbs!"

"Yeah, I was here, Tony." Gibbs wondered what was going through his lover's mind.

Tony sat up and twisted around, kneeling in front of Gibbs, a rapt expression on his face. "Don't you see, Jethro? This means I'm connected to them, too!"

Gibbs smiled, understanding dawning. "And that's a good thing?"

"Yes!" Tony exclaimed. "I mean, I wish it was like your link, and not so much a painful one, but hey, they like me! I feel like Sally Field after her Oscar for Places of the Heart. They like me! They really like me!"

"Tony, they love you."

"This is so neat—now we both have a bond…wait, what?"

"I said, they love you."

Tony paused. "Because I'm your mate?"

Gibbs shook his head. "Not because you're my mate," he explained. "Because you're you." He laughed at Tony's skeptical expression. "I'm telling you the truth, Tony. In fact," a slightly sad expression came over his face for a moment. "They never really took to Shannon."

Tony blinked. "No?"

Gibbs shrugged. "No. They accepted her, but not to the extent they have you."

Tony was silent for a moment, but then had to ask. "And the exes?"

Gibbs laughed, regaining his good humor. "You think I brought them here? Can you see Diane having labor pains for a horse?" The snort behind them sounded like a reprimand. "Sorry, a unicorn?

"I guess not," Tony said.

"I'm just grateful there were no births when I was married to them.

Tony snuggled down into Gibbs' lap again, reveling in the new found knowledge that the unicorns accepted him so much they'd allow this bond. His uneasiness with Gibbs's own bond with the herd was now understandable—he'd been jealous. Jealous of the herd, of Maia… "Maia!" Tony exclaimed once more, sitting up quickly and accidentally elbowing Gibbs in the thigh. "How is she? Where is she? Where's the foal?"

Gibbs grunted at the elbow, pushing Tony off a bit. "Over there," he said, waiving towards the left.

Tony got up, and on surprisingly shaky legs, walked over to Maia. The mare was much slimmer now, her golden coat shining. Next to her was a chocolate brown foal, standing on skittery legs, eyes taking in the meadow and the rest of the herd. With a nudge, baby and mother began to walk and they met Tony half way. "Hey there," Tony paused to peer underneath the small unicorn, "fella," he said. Maia pushed her head onto Tony's shoulder, rubbing against him. "You're welcome," he said simply.

The foal bumped into Tony. He felt Gibbs' arms come around him as his hand moved to pet the small head, the little nub of his horn just showing at the top. "Welcome to the world, little miracle."


End file.
